by W L Ripley
“Better listen to your friend, Barbie. I’m pretty tricky.”
“Stop calling me that.”
“Did you see Gage Burnell the night he died?”
Smirking now as if he had hidden inner knowledge. “I don’t remember. Think I was working late.”
“What about you, Robby?”
“Same as him.”
“Either of you know anyone mad at Gage?”
Robby glanced at Barb then quickly away.
“What about you, Steve? Can I call you Steve since you don’t like Barbie? Like to be on a first name basis.”
“Don’t know anything ’bout that.”
“Were you mad at Gage?”
Silence while Barb glared at Jake. “I get out maybe we dance again.”
“Love to. All I’d want for Christmas.” Jake saying now, “You dated Hanna, Gage’s girl, but then she and Gage got back together. Told people she didn’t like you much. Heard that angered you. I know it would’ve angered me.”
“I don’t need that cunt.”
“Need to wash the C-word out of your vocabulary. I don’t care for it.”
“Fuck you.” More force this time.
“The F-bomb again,” Jake said. “Well, Barbie, we’ll see who gets the last fuck here. You boys get cold, feel free to cuddle.”
“You have a unique interrogation style,” Cal said, settling back in his office chair.
Jake opened his hands and said, “They’re idiots in a big hurry to say they didn’t kill Gage and worried about the cigarette thing.”
“You think there’s a match?”
Shaking his head. “It’s a different cigarette than the one I found. But people change brands and DNA might give me something. It shook him up when I asked about it. Doesn’t mean either of them is a killer but, you know small towns. People talk and they may have heard something. Can you keep them here?”
“They called a lawyer already,” Cal said. “But I have an anonymous tip they may’ve been involved with Terry Bill Pennell in a homicide.”
“Anonymous tip?”
“Sounds good as anything.”
“Cal,” Jake said. “You’re a beautiful man.”
“By the way, stay away from my daughter,” Cal said, smiling.
“Think you’re alone on that? Nobody wants me to see their daughter. Kinda hurtful.”
“She’s too good for you,” Cal said.
Jake shrugged. “Can’t argue that.”
Back home Jake had doubts about his investigative reasoning. It had a few holes. Holes big enough for a first-year law student to walk through. No way to charge anyone as no prosecutor would take the case even if Jake knew who to arrest and he didn’t.
The landline was ringing, and Jake looked at the caller ID. Vernon Mitchell? Jake answered.
“Yeah, Vernon, what can I do for you?”
“Got a proposition for you. You mind coming by my place and we can talk? You know the way.”
Jake agreed to it.
Jake drove to the Mitchell ranch. On the way he called Cal Bannister.
“You remember we talked about how Vernon Mitchell bought his land off a guy after stealing his cattle?”
“What’re you thinking?” Cal said. “That’s about as close to an urban legend as we get around here?”
“C’mon, what’s the name?”
“That’d be a guy named Yoder. Franklin Yoder. But hell, that’s forty odd years ago.”
“Whatever happened to him?”
“I don’t know. Disappeared. Don’t know if they just moved away or what happened.”
“Thanks.”
Jake arrived at the Mitchell ranch, got out of his car and Vernon greeted him at the door then led Jake inside to Vernon’s home office which spoke of money and conquest, albeit garishly. Photos of Vernon with senators and congressmen and a couple of country-western stars. Overlarge cherrywood desk that made Jake feel like they were sitting in different time zones with Vernon seated at his executive chair. There was a ten-point whitetail and an antelope head mounted on the wall, with brass plaques describing the date and type of weapon used to take the animals. Jake had hunted for many years himself, with a rifle, bow and lately with a handgun. Never once did he consider displaying their heads on a wall. To Jake, the hunt was an implicit agreement between himself and the deer not to humiliate the animal after killing it.
“You got a couple of my workers in jail downtown,” Vernon said.
Jake picked at some lint on his sleeve and offhandedly said, “I’m got some cuts and bruises. Why they’re inside.”
Vernon raised a hand showing his palm. “I know,” Vernon said. “Don’t blame you being honked off at them. They’re good boys though and I need them.”
“Why would you need them?” Thinking perhaps Vernon didn’t want them talking to the police. Or, maybe once again Jake was allowing his distaste for the Mitchells to influence his mind.
“I do anything to get you to drop charges?”
Jake thinking about it now. Was he offering a bribe? Perhaps dangle interest in front of the man.
“Maybe,” Jake said. “What’re we talking about?”
“I cover your medical expenses and a little on top of that. How’s that sound?”
“Not bad,” Jake said. It sounded terrible, even sordid, but he wanted Vernon to take the bait.
Vernon was quiet a moment, drumming his fingers on his desk, as if considering something.
“You know,” Vernon said, “I can sweeten the deal.”
Jake tried not to smile when he said, “I’m listening.”
“Your pickup was damaged and you have incurred expenses. What would be fair compensation?”
“Hard to say. What do you have in mind?”
“New truck and five thousand dollars to cover incidentals and compensate you for your trouble.”
Jake pretending to think about before saying, “What about the two guys working for you drove out to my place to assault me?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Jake stared at Vernon for a long moment and said, “Not yours? I’ll let you have that one. Here’s the thing, every time I look into Gage’s death I run into opposition from your people or your sons.”
“I regret that. Would you like a drink?”
Jake shook his head. “I’ve gotta head back to Texas soon and I don’t know, with Gage gone, I can’t really keep the farm up. I’ve got a price in mind and maybe we can get your workers out of the lock-up in addition to what you’ve mentioned. What do you offer?”
“That’s pretty steep for those boys. Just want them out to get back to work.”
“Thought you wanted to buy the place.”
“Changed my mind. Don’t need it.”
Well, well, well, thought Jake. “What changed your mind?”
“You going to take my offer or not?”
“I think we’re pretty clear how I feel about you and your workers.”
Vernon’s eyebrows constricted. He was catching on. “You’re playing with me, aren’t you, boy? You think that’s something you want to have done? Here’s the way I see you. You’re a goddamned nuisance.”
“Everybody says that.”
“Your mouth is going to cost you yet. I don’t like the things you’ve done since coming back here. First it’s beating up my son and Noah and then what’s going on with you and my daughter-in-law.”
Bingo. It was Vernon clued in Doc Kellogg. Why would Vernon do that?
“You’re making an intuitive leap about Pam,” Jake said.
“You think I miss the way she looks at you? I know Pam better than she thinks. Used to having her way, riding Alex, digging in her spurs when she wants him to do what she wants rather than what’s best for him?”
“So, what’s best for Alex?”
“None of your damned business. I’ll deal with her later.”
“You want to clarify that? Deal with her how?”
“Don�
��t keep nosing into my business. Others have tried.”
“Is that a threat?”
“I don’t make them. I predict the future.”
“That’s fairly transparent. Whatever happened to Franklin Yoder?” There, hit him with it before he was ready, and Vernon hesitated one beat too long before responding. “You know anything about that?”
It shook him.
“What? I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.”
“They disappeared and you picked up their land on the cheap.”
“That’s enough of your crap. You’re a sick nasty individual. You know your way out, right? I don’t want to see you out here again. Ever.”
“We’re together on that one.”
“I’ve tried twice to get along with you and in return I get a lot of mouth and bullshit accusations. I’m through playing games with you, son. Get the hell off my property and be careful where you go when you leave.”
Jake stood, looked down at Vernon and said, “Guys like you scare people. You’re a fucking bully. You don’t scare me and if anyone needs to be careful it’s you.”
As Jake backed out of Vernon’s drive, across the road he saw Pam talking to Fat Boy Haller. They were intently examining something between them Jake couldn’t see. Pam was dressed in cut-off shorts and a halter top. Had to admit she looked good. They didn’t notice as he drove by.
Wondering about Vernon’s change of mind? Why was Dad’s place no longer a priority? Whatever Vernon was looking for or hoping to create it wasn’t on the Morgan property. Why had Vernon thought it was there?
Or was it somewhere else? Even then, what would it be?
Back home Jake fired up Gage’s laptop and used his access code to gain entry into the Texas Department of Safety’s TxDPS secure website. He knew it would set off bells and whistles back in station B but he needed information. Accessing records from an unauthorized site, like Gage’s laptop, was always checked. He ran the name, Franklin Yoder, Paradise, Missouri. One hit. Reported theft of grazing cattle. 1971. Cattle rustling. No arrests. Wild West stuff. Last known address? Paradise. Nothing after that.
That done, Jake ran Yoder’s name on an online search engine. Several names came up. Three Franklin Yoders and one F. Yoder. Only two of them would be about the right age. He called the phone numbers. One of them had recently died but the person answering said the man never lived in Paradise. The second Franklin said he was deployed to Vietnam in 1971 and also never lived in Paradise. F. Yoder was a woman.
Dead end. The guy had just disappeared.
What happened to Franklin Yoder?
Knowing when he found out, Jake may have the key to locking up Vernon Mitchell for a long time.
Jake remembered something his dad, Alfred, once told him after Jake threw three interceptions in a junior high school game. “It is a long old road that has no curves in it.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Sheriff Doc Kellogg was in his police unit when the call came through. Kellogg wheeled his vehicle around and raced north on highway 27, siren wailing. Dispatch notified the hospital and Kellogg had a county ambulance trailing behind him. Doc was shattered by the victim of the shooting.
Vernon Mitchell shot, maybe dead. What did it mean? Who would do such a thing? This could not happen at a worse time for Kellogg. An election coming up and well, the other plans he had.
When Kellogg arrived, a neighbor was there. “I was returning an auger Vernon leant me but when I got here no one answered and I’d just talked to him on the phone an hour before.”
One shot right in the middle of his face, a killing shot. Two more in the chest were post-mortem. Nose tore off and his false teeth hanging from his mouth. A nine-millimeter SIG Sauer pistol lay on the floor. No forced entry. Someone Vernon knew or had let in was the shooter. The neighbor? Unlikely but would have to be considered.
The only person around the place was the hired hand, Noah Haller. Ask him about it. A tech showed up and dusted and bagged the gun and a spent shell casing.
“Got prints,” the tech said.
Maybe this one wouldn’t be tough to solve after all.
Two birds with one stone.
However? Why leave the murder weapon?
Morgan?
Jake’s cell phone lit up and it was Buddy Johnson.
“Where are you?” Buddy asked.
“Home.”
“You own a SIG Sauer pistol?”
“It’s my service weapon.”
“Is it a nine-millimeter?”
“.357. What’s this about? Somebody got shot, right?”
“Vernon Mitchell. Do you own a nine?”
Jake paused a second to take that in.
“You still there?” Buddy said.
“I do. A Taurus. You need to know I was just there an hour ago talking to him.”
“You were at Mitchell’s place? Shit, Jake, what’re you thinking? You’re sticking your dick in everything. Kellogg’s going to be all over you. You know that.”
“How’d it go down?”
“It was personal. Left the weapon on the floor.”
“Left the weapon.” Thinking about that. “No one is that dumb, well strike that. I’ve met some truly dumb people in my life. Leaving the weapon suggests the killer wiped the gun or...wait.”
“What?”
“If I’m smart why leave the weapon for police to find it?”
“I see where you’re going,” Buddy said. “Wow, that’s something. Framing someone else.”
“Well I didn’t shoot him.”
“I know you didn’t. But Kellogg will want you for it. He’ll be hungry to hang it on you. What the fuck were you doing at Vernon’s place?”
“He offered a bribe to drop assault charges on Barb and Warner.”
“That’s not going to sound good when you tell it in court. You’re in the mix for this one, Jake. Don’t over-react but you know Kellogg will be coming and will do back flips to hang it on you.”
“You could be right.”
“Sure calm for someone in the middle of this.”
“Should I run around in circles and scream?”
“Just keep your head and don’t be a smartass when you’re questioned?”
“Do I do that?”
“Not going to be your straight man, Jake. This is a fucking shitstorm and I need my quarterback to call the right signals.”
They broke the connection and Jake heard the crunch of gravel on his lane. He picked up his Taurus nine and looked outside.
Getting paranoid. It was Harper.
“Dad told me about it. This is awful,” said Harper as they embraced. “What’s going on with the Mitchells?”
Jake telling her he was with Vernon right before he was shot and killed.
She stood there and stared for a long moment, shaking her head. She said, “Why? What were you doing there?”
He explained.
“Wow. This is not good. Jake, what were you thinking? You hear from Sheriff Kellogg yet?” she asked, leaning back from his embrace. “You know you’re going to.”
“Not yet, but he’ll be here with a net and a club. He’s not happy about your dad and me doubting Terry Bill Pennell’s involvement in Gage’s death.”
“Terry Bill would be the type to follow and could’ve been in on any attack on Gage if he had people to protect him.”
“True. But, he’s the kind of guy who’d turn the others to make a deal. Terry Bill isn’t a stand-up guy. No, he’s a false narrative. I just don’t know why Kellogg lit on him as a killer yet.”
They walked inside, Jake made coffee and they sat at the kitchen table. Harper rubbed her arm and shook her head at the situation. “This is terrible. What is going on you haven’t told me? Don’t hold back. I’m a cop’s daughter and I’m used to this stuff.”
Jake said, “There’s quite a bit going on. Enough that I can kind of piece together what’s going on and why there is so much activity.”
“Enou
gh to get people arrested and hopefully not yourself?”
He shook his head. “Vernon made a cash offer, a bribe, for my silence. That suggests he had things to hide. I had him down as orchestrating Gage’s death and now I don’t know what or who it might be. I can’t figure why anyone would kill Vernon.”
“You realize, if I didn’t know you better, I would guess you did it. So you’d better come up with something or, well, I don’t want to think about that.”
“It was possibly...doesn’t matter. Throwing everything off is Vernon being killed. Don’t understand why that happened or who benefits.”
He told her about the legend of local rumors about Franklin Yoder’s disappearance and not being to locate the man. “And there’s one more thing that needs checking.”
“What?”
“I need to know what happened to Pam’s first husband. She met him in college. Rich kid. I remember correctly he died in an accident. He was from Nevada. Believe Las Vegas was where it happened. Seems to be unhealthy to be involved with Pam.”
“More reason for you to stay clear of her, little boy,” Harper said, wagging her finger at him.
“Noted.”
Jake dialed Texas Ranger Captain Parmalee’s number and told him what he had in mind regarding checking on Pam’s first husband’s death. Parmalee hesitant at first but said he would clear the way for Jake to talk with Vegas Metro as a Texas Ranger.
They waited until Parmalee called back and said, “You’re good to go.”
Jake called LVM and requested any information that Vegas Metro would have on the death of Pam’s first husband. The officer in charge of the investigation was unavailable so Jake left his cell number, hung up and said, “I’m going to take another look at the grain elevator.”
“Why?”
“With Vernon dead they may decide to close the elevator in observance. If it closes that gives me a chance to walk around the place without being interrupted.”
“That’ll be a couple of days from now. You’re probably going to be answering questions and unable to move about freely. Besides, they’re not going to let you within a hundred yards of the place. They find out you visited Vernon before he was killed, they’ll be all over you. Better to have someone else look.”
